Category: Press Releases

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2023 IACLE Educator of the Year Awards

IACLE calls for entries for 2023 Educator of the Year Awards

Three contact lens educators from around the world will travel to the 4th IACLE World Congress and the British Contact Lens Association’s (BCLA) Clinical Conference & Exhibition this year as winners of the 2023 IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year Awards.

IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year Awards

The International Association of Contact Lens Educators (IACLE) is offering educators worldwide the chance to become IACLE Contact Lens Educators of the Year and travel to the BCLA’s biennial conference in Manchester, UK. The 2023 awards ceremony will take place during the Gala Dinner at the 4th IACLE World Congress, which immediately precedes the BCLA. The title of IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year will be awarded to three individuals, one from each of IACLE’s three global regions:

  • Americas
  • Asia Pacific
  • Europe, Africa and Middle East

These awards recognize and award achievements in contact lens education and are sponsored by CooperVision. The winners will each receive a bursary of up to US$3,000 towards the cost of attending the BCLA this year and permission to use the title 2023 IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year for their region.

The IACLE Educator Awards are open to all contact lens educators who have been IACLE members for at least three years. Applicants can either nominate themselves or be nominated by another member or IACLE staff. Educators must demonstrate how they impact their institutions and inspire their students to become future contact lens practitioners. 

Director, Global Professional Affairs at CooperVision Karen Walsh said: ‘The IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year Awards provides a great opportunity for those involved in teaching the next generation of eye care professionals to be recognized for their work on the international stage. CooperVision, as long-term supporters of these awards, look forward to celebrating with the successful nominees later in the year.’

IACLE President Professor Philip Morgan commented, ‘On behalf of IACLE, I am pleased to announce that nominations for our Educator of the Year Awards are open. One Award is made for each IACLE region – Asia Pacific, Americas and Europe, Africa, Middle East – with the awardees scheduled to receive their awards at the 4th IACLE World Congress. I encourage our members to consider nominating themselves or a colleague to be recognized in this way. Thanks to CooperVision for once again sponsoring the IACLE Educator of the Year Awards.’

The deadline for entries for the 2023 awards is midnight (EST) on Friday 17 February. Entries must be submitted using the application form here. To nominate a fellow educator, entries must be submitted using the form here.

-ENDS-

Picture caption: IACLE President Professor Philip Morgan pictured with award winners from 2020, 2021 and 2022 (l-r) Dr Carole Maldonado-Codina (2022), Professor Renée Reeder (2020), Professor Philip Morgan, Dr Lindsay Sicks (2022), Dr Byki Huntjens (2021) and Dr Johanna Garzón (2021), at the 2022 American Academy of Optometry.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Amelia Morgan
Communications Specialist | International Association of Contact Lens Educators
International Association of Contact Lens Educators
Leeds | United Kingdom
Email: a.morgan@iacle.org
Web: www.iacle.org

NOTES FOR EDITORS

  1. Click here for full details of the IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year Awards and here for a full list of previous recipients.
  2. Professor Philip Morgan is Head of Optometry at the University of Manchester, UK.
  3. Information on all IACLE activities can be found on the IACLE website here.
  4. Information on IACLE membership benefits is available here.

ABOUT IACLE

The International Association of Contact Lens Educators was established in 1979 and is a non-profit, non-political association. IACLE has 838 (as of December 2022) active members in 81 countries and welcomes contact lens educators from all eye care professions and related disciplines. IACLE is dedicated to raising the standard of contact lens education and promoting the safe use of contact lenses worldwide. It is the leading provider of educational and information resources essential to contact lens educators. IACLE is supported by leading global contact lens manufacturers: Platinum Sponsor Alcon, Gold Sponsor CooperVision, Silver Sponsor Johnson & Johnson Vision, Bronze Sponsors Bausch + Lomb, Ophtecs and Menicon and Donor Sponsor Euclid.

ABOUT COOPERVISION

CooperVision, a division of CooperCompanies (NYSE:COO), is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of contact lenses. The company produces a full array of daily disposable, two-week and monthly soft contact lenses that feature advanced materials and optics, and premium rigid gas permeable lenses for orthokeratology and scleral designs. CooperVision has a strong heritage of addressing the toughest vision challenges such as astigmatism, presbyopia, childhood myopia, and highly irregular corneas; and offers the most complete portfolio of spherical, toric and multifocal products available. Through a combination of innovative products and focused practitioner support, the company brings a refreshing perspective to the marketplace, creating real advantages for customers and wearers. For more information, visit www.coopervision.com.

IACLE IS SPONSORED BY

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Menicon joins IACLE as a new sponsor

We are delighted to announce that IACLE has a new Bronze Sponsor ­– Menicon Co., Ltd. – a Japanese contact lens manufacturer that developed Japan’s first practical corneal contact lens. Menicon holds steadfast to safety values and strives to create comfortable and convenient contact lenses. Menicon is firmly progressing as a global enterprise represented in over 80 countries while providing the joy of sight to the world. 

Menicon offers a full range of products and services as a comprehensive vision care enterprise. Within the RGP and MTO lens portfolio, Menicon has a diverse range of products to satisfy various needs. In terms of disposable contact lenses, to provide better vision and experience to customers, Menicon developed SmartTouch technology which has been applied to all Miru 1day disposable contact lenses. Furthermore, as contact lens hygiene has always been regarded as a core priority within the business, Menicon also provides a complete lineup of lens care solutions to all RGP and soft lens users.  

Senior Executive Officer of Menicon Hideki Koga commented, ‘As a contact lens manufacturer, we are dedicated to delivering high-quality contact lens and care products which are designed with the wearer and hygiene in mind. Eye care professionals play an important role in wearers’ lives and maximizing success with contact lenses. Partnering with IACLE allows us to support contact lens education, research, and best practice evidence-based approaches for those teaching and aspiring the next generation of eye care professionals.’

IACLE President Professor Philip Morgan welcomes our new sponsor, ‘We are thrilled that Menicon has joined IACLE as a sponsor – this is truly great news for our membership. IACLE sponsors are an integral part of the Association. Certainly, funding from our sponsors is critical for our work, but we very much appreciate their insights into current market trends and other areas of expertise. On behalf of the IACLE leadership, I look forward to working with our colleagues at Menicon and all our sponsors to execute IACLE’s mission of developing outstanding contact lens educators.’

IACLE IS SPONSORED BY

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IACLE 2022 Award Winners

IACLE celebrates the achievements of its 2022 Award winners

Contact lens educators from three countries – India, the United States of America, and the United Kingdom – receive prestigious awards from the International Association of Contact Lens Educators (IACLE) for their efforts in contact lens education.

IACLE has today announced the winners of the 2022 IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year Awards to recognize and reward achievement in contact lens education, and the 2022 IACLE Travel Award that supports educators attending major international meetings. This year’s awards will be presented at events around the world.

Thanks to the generous sponsorship from CooperVision, three IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year Awards will be presented, one for each of its three global regions. To receive their awards, winners will travel to the American Academy of Optometry (AAO) in San Diego, USA (26-29 October) or the British Contact Lens Association’s (BCLA) Clinical Conference & Exhibition in Manchester, UK (9-11 June 2023).

The 2022 IACLE Contact Lens Educators of the Year are:

IACLE Americas Contact Lens Educator of the Year
Dr Lindsay Sicks
Illinois College of Optometry, Chicago, USA


IACLE Asia Pacific Contact Lens Educator of the Year
Lavanya Kalikivayi
Ahalia School of Optometry, Kerala, India


IACLE Europe/Africa – Middle East Contact Lens Educator of the Year
Carole Maldonado-Codina
University of Manchester, UK

Dr Sicks commented on her award: ‘I am honored to be chosen as IACLE’s 2022 Contact Lens Educator of the Year for the Americas. During the challenging pandemic times, IACLE has served as a sounding board and a resource for fresh ideas and perspectives on how we can deliver contact lens education to our students, no matter where in the world we teach.’

‘We are proud of our continuing partnership with IACLE to support these awards. Eye care professionals around the world are indebted to the talent, enthusiasm and experience of hundreds of contact lens educators. We congratulate the recipients of this year’s awards and thank them for their tireless efforts to inspire the next generation of professionals,’ said Karen Walsh, Director, Global Professional Affairs – 1 Day & FRP Brands for CooperVision.

This year, one IACLE Travel Award – funded by all IACLE’s industry sponsors – will be presented.




The 2022 IACLE Travel Award winner is Asif Iqbal from Sankara Nethralaya in Chennai, India, who says he is ‘extremely honored’.

IACLE President Professor Philip Morgan added: ‘We are excited to announce this year’s Educator of the Year and Travel Awards. Receiving these accolades represents a great achievement for our winners. We are grateful to CooperVision and all IACLE sponsors for sponsoring these important awards once again.’

-ENDS-

For media enquires please contact:

Amelia Morgan
Communications Specialist – International Association of Contact Lens Educators
International Association of Contact Lens Educators
Leeds, United Kingdom
Email: a.morgan@iacle.org

Notes for Editors

  1. Click here for full details of the IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year Awards and here for a full list of previous recipients.
  2. Click here to find out more about the IACLE Travel Awards and here for a full list of previous recipients.
  3. Professor Philip Morgan is Head of Optometry, Deputy Head of the Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, and Director of Eurolens Research at The University of Manchester.
  4. Information on all IACLE activities and membership benefits is available at www.iacle.org
  5. Details of the Academy 2022 San Diego are here and the British Contact Lens Association Clinical Conference & Exhibition here.

About IACLE
The International Association of Contact Lens Educators was established in 1979 and is a non-profit, non-political association. IACLE has 754 (as of June 2022) active members in 81 countries and welcomes contact lens educators from all eye care professions and related disciplines. IACLE is dedicated to raising the standard of contact lens education and promoting the safe use of contact lenses worldwide. It is the leading provider of educational and information resources essential to contact lens educators. IACLE is supported by leading global contact lens manufacturers: Platinum Sponsor Alcon, Gold Sponsor CooperVision, Silver Sponsor Johnson & Johnson Vision, Bronze Sponsors Bausch + Lomb and Ophtecs, and Donor Sponsor Euclid.

About CooperVision
CooperVision, a division of CooperCompanies (NYSE:COO), is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of contact lenses. The company produces a full array of daily disposable, two-week and monthly soft contact lenses that feature advanced materials and optics, and premium rigid gas permeable lenses for orthokeratology and scleral designs. CooperVision has a strong heritage of addressing the toughest vision challenges such as astigmatism, presbyopia, childhood myopia, and highly irregular corneas; and offers the most complete portfolio of spherical, toric and multifocal products available. Through a combination of innovative products and focused practitioner support, the company brings a refreshing perspective to the marketplace, creating real advantages for customers and wearers. For more information, visit www.coopervision.com.

About CooperCompanies
CooperCompanies (“Cooper”) is a global medical device company publicly traded on the NYSE (NYSE:COO). Cooper operates through two business units, CooperVision and CooperSurgical. CooperVision brings a refreshing perspective on vision care with a commitment to developing a wide range of high-quality products for contact lens wearers and providing focused practitioner support. CooperSurgical is committed to advancing the health of women, babies and families with its diversified portfolio of products and services focusing on medical devices and fertility & genomics. Headquartered in San Ramon, Calif., Cooper has a workforce of more than 12,000 with products sold in over 100 countries. For more information, please visit www.coopercos.com. 

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2022 Educator Awards

IACLE calls for entries for 2022 Educator Awards

Four contact lens educators from around the world will be attending major international meetings this year as winners of the 2022 IACLE Awards.

IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year Awards

The International Association of Contact Lens Educators (IACLE) is offering educators worldwide the chance to become IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year and travel to an international meeting providing COVID-19 restrictions allow. IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year will be awarded to three individuals, one from each of IACLE’s three global regions:

  • 2022 IACLE Americas Contact Lens Educator of the Year
  • 2022 IACLE Asia Pacific Contact Lens Educator of the Year
  • 2022 IACLE Europe / Africa – Middle East Contact Lens Educator of the Year

Due to travel restrictions implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 and 2021 award recipients have not yet received their awards. The 2020 winners, Professor Renée Reeder (USA), Professor Bariah Mohd Ali (Malaysia) and Jo Underwood (UK), and the 2021 winners Dr Johanna Garzón (Colombia), Wei Xu (China), and Dr Byki Huntjens (UK), will also receive their awards at meetings in 2022 when restrictions allow.

These awards recognize and award achievements in contact lens education and are sponsored by CooperVision. The winners will each receive a bursary of up to US$3,000 towards the cost of attending an international meeting this year and permission to use the title 2022 IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year for their region.

The IACLE Educator Awards are open to all contact lens educators who have been IACLE members for at least three years. Applicants can either nominate themselves or be nominated by another member or IACLE staff. Educators must demonstrate impact on their institutions and how they inspire their students to become future contact lens practitioners.  

‘Translating the latest science and championing evidence-based contact lens practice to inspire future practitioners is at the heart of the IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year Award,’ said Karen Walsh, Director, Global Professional Affairs – 1 Day & FRP Brands. ‘This commitment to the profession’s exciting future is shared by all recipients, as well as CooperVision. As a long-time IACLE sponsor, we congratulate the 2022 honourees.’

IACLE Travel Awards

The IACLE Travel Awards are bursaries of up to US$3,000, allowing IACLE Educator Members to attend a meeting on a national, regional, or international basis. The IACLE Travel Awards are sponsored by IACLE through the generous support of all IACLE’s sponsors (Alcon, CooperVision, Johnson & Johnson Vision, Bausch + Lomb, Ophtecs and Euclid).

This year, there will be one IACLE Travel Award and the recipient will attend a national, regional, or international meeting in 2022 when restrictions allow.

2020 Travel Award recipients Dr Elizabeth Chetty (South Africa) and Associate Professor Nirav Mehta (India) will receive their awards at a national, regional, or international meeting in 2022, providing restrictions allow. Professor Martín Guzmán (Venezuela) received his 2020 Travel Award at the International Congress of Scleral Contacts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in July 2021.

IACLE President Professor Philip Morgan commented: ‘We are delighted to start the search for four new IACLE Award winners for 2022: our three ‘Educator of the Year’ accolades and our Travel Award. We invite our members to consider applying for the 2022 Awards, or nominate a colleague. We are grateful to CooperVision for their continued sponsorship of our Educator of the Year Awards, and to all our sponsors (Alcon, CooperVision, Johnson & Johnson Vision, Bausch + Lomb, Ophtecs and Euclid) for their support of the Travel Award and of our work supporting contact lens educators around the world more generally.’

The deadline for entries for the 2022 Awards is midnight (EST) on Monday 28 February 2022. Entries must be submitted using the application forms at www.iacle.org/awards/.

-ENDS-

For media enquires please contact:

Amelia Morgan

Communications Specialist | International Association of Contact Lens Educators

International Association of Contact Lens Educators

Leeds | United Kingdom

Email: a.morgan@iacle.org

Web: www.iacle.org

NOTES FOR EDITORS

  1. Click here for full details of the IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year Awards and here for a full list of previous recipients.
  2. Click here to find out more about the IACLE Travel Awards.
  3. Professor Philip Morgan is Head of Optometry at the University of Manchester, UK.
  4. Information on all IACLE activities can be found on the IACLE website here.
  5. Information on IACLE membership benefits is available here.

ABOUT IACLE

The International Association of Contact Lens Educators was established in 1979 and is a non-profit, non-political association. IACLE has 869 (as of 17 December 2021) active members in 79 countries and welcomes contact lens educators from all eye care professions and related disciplines. IACLE is dedicated to raising the standard of contact lens education and promoting the safe use of contact lenses worldwide. It is the leading provider of educational and information resources essential to contact lens educators. IACLE is supported by leading global contact lens manufacturers: Platinum Sponsor Alcon, Gold Sponsor CooperVision, Silver Sponsor Johnson & Johnson Vision, Bronze Sponsors Bausch + Lomb and Ophtecs and Donor Sponsor Euclid. 

ABOUT COOPERVISION

CooperVision, a division of CooperCompanies (NYSE:COO), is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of contact lenses. The company produces a full array of daily disposable, two-week and monthly soft contact lenses that feature advanced materials and optics, and premium rigid gas permeable lenses for orthokeratology and scleral designs. CooperVision has a strong heritage of addressing the toughest vision challenges such as astigmatism, presbyopia, childhood myopia, and highly irregular corneas; and offers the most complete portfolio of spherical, toric and multifocal products available. Through a combination of innovative products and focused practitioner support, the company brings a refreshing perspective to the marketplace, creating real advantages for customers and wearers. For more information, visit www.coopervision.com.

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Ophtecs New Bronze Sponsor

IACLE announces Ophtecs as a new sponsor

The International Association of Contact Lens Educators (IACLE) has a new Bronze Sponsor – Ophtecs Corporation, a contact lens care solution manufacturer based in Japan.

IACLE President Professor Philip Morgan welcomed the Association’s new sponsor, saying, ‘It’s fantastic news for IACLE and our members that we welcome Ophtecs as a new sponsor. The sponsors are an integral part of IACLE activity, and the Executive Board regularly speak with our sponsor colleagues to update them on our work, and to discuss issues facing our members. With this in mind, we look forward to working with our colleagues at Ophtecs and all our sponsors to continue our work towards IACLE’s mission of developing outstanding contact lens educators.’

Founded in 1981, Ophtecs aims to provide comfortable lens wear for all types of contact lens wearers. This has led to the company developing unique and innovative contact lens care solutions which are distributed in over 15 countries. The company’s corporate mission is to ‘Contribute to the Global Ophthalmic Field’ and they continue to develop new products by having the care for contact lens wearers at heart.

CEO and President of Ophtecs Joe Yoneda commented, ‘We are very excited to be a part of IACLE’s activities and we look forward to working closely with the Association.’

CTO and Executive Director Mr Fumio Saito said, ‘We are happy and honoured to be a part of this worldwide organization. We are looking forward to working with IACLE and its members for a long time.’ IACLE Vice President Dr Shehzad Naroo also said, ‘IACLE is very pleased to announce our new sponsor. Ophtecs are a provider of contact lens care products based in Japan with a global reach. This comes at an exciting time for IACLE as we start our plans to grow our membership and develop more educational resources. Partnerships like this are the key to our success.’

For media enquiries please contact:

Amelia Morgan 
Marketing Consultant | International Association of Contact Lens Educators
Leeds | United Kingdom
Email: amelia@ameliamorgan.org
Work / Mobile: + 44 7740 858 395
Skype: ameliagracemorgan_1 | Web: www.iacle.org

NOTES FOR EDITORS

  1. Click here for more details on IACLE’s sponsors.
  2. Dr Shehzad Naroo is Reader at Aston University in Birmingham, UK.
  3. Professor Philip Morgan is Head of Optometry at University of Manchester, UK.

Information on all IACLE activities and membership is available at www.iacle.org

ABOUT IACLE

The International Association of Contact Lens Educators was established in 1979 and is a non-profit, non-political association. IACLE has 731 active members in 74 countries (as of December 2020) and welcomes contact lens educators from all eye care professions and related disciplines. IACLE is dedicated to raising the standard of contact lens education and promoting the safe use of contact lenses worldwide. It is the leading provider of educational and information resources essential to contact lens educators. IACLE is supported by leading global contact lens manufacturers: Platinum Sponsor Alcon, Gold Sponsor CooperVision, Silver Sponsor Johnson & Johnson Vision, Bronze Sponsor Bausch + Lomb and Ophtecs and Donor Sponsor Euclid. 

ABOUT OPHTECS

Founded in 1981, Ophtecs aspires to contribute to the comfortable contact lens wear for all types of wearers. This desire has driven the company to develop unique and innovative contact lens care solutions, distributed in over 15 countries. Ophtecs’ corporate mission is to ‘Contribute to the Global Ophthalmic Field’. To achieve this, they open their doors to the global market and continue to research and develop new products by having the care for contact lens wearers at heart. Ophtecs is the only company in Japan with a specialized research and development facility for contact lens care products. Their well-equipped team is continuously researching the disinfection and the cleaning of contact lenses. The company’s R&D department collects feedback from the market and passes it onto the product development team to meet the needs of consumers. They also work closely with ophthalmologists in various research areas. Different products are designed and developed, from contact lens care products to improve eye health to products such as OTC and pharmaceutical eye drops. Ophtecs have created evolutionary products – they developed the world’s first contact lens care products using Povidone Iodine. Ophtecs develops, manufactures and sells all products lines at their own factories.

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2021 Contact Lens Educator Award winners

IACLE recognizes and applauds the achievements of its 2021 Contact Lens Educator Award winners

Contact lens educators from three countries – Colombia, China and the United Kingdom – are celebrating their success in the 2021 IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year Awards. The meetings they will attend to receive their awards will be confirmed once COVID-19 restrictions allow. 

The IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year Awards recognize and reward achievements in contact lens education worldwide. Sponsored by CooperVision, these prestigious awards are presented each year to an individual from each of IACLE’s global regions.

The 2021 winners are:

  • IACLE Americas Contact Lens Educator of the Year

Dr Johanna Garzón

Universidad de La Salle, Bogota, Colombia

  • IACLE Asia Pacific Contact Lens Educator of the Year

Wei Xu

Jinling Institute of Technology, Nanjing, China

  • IACLE Europe/Africa – Middle East Contact Lens Educator of the Year

Dr Byki Huntjens

City, University of London, UK

Dr Huntjens commented, ‘IACLE provides immeasurable support for any contact lens educator worldwide, and particularly during the global Covid-19 pandemic. The Association comprises of an extraordinary group of professionals who, like me, have a passion for contact lenses and are willing to share their knowledge to enhance our educational provision. Because in the end, everything we do is for the next generation of eye care practitioners. Thank you IACLE, for this awesome award; I cannot wait to share this news with my students!’

IACLE President Dr Shehzad Naroo added, ‘It’s that time of year for IACLE to announce the winners of the Educator of the Year Awards. The winner for the Asia Pacific region is Wei Xu; for the Americas is Johanna Garzón; and for Europe Africa and Middle East is Byki Huntjens. Thank you to CooperVision for continuing to sponsor the Educator of the Year Awards.’

For media enquiries please contact:

Amelia Morgan 
Marketing Consultant | International Association of Contact Lens Educators
Leeds | United Kingdom
Email: amelia@ameliamorgan.org
Work / Mobile: + 44 7740 858 395
Skype: ameliagracemorgan_1 | Web: www.iacle.org

NOTES FOR EDITORS

  1. Click here for full details of the IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year Awards and their comments on winning. Find biographies of this year’s Educator Award winners here.
  2. Dr Shehzad Naroo is Reader at Aston University in Birmingham, UK.
  3. Information on all IACLE activities and membership benefits is available at www.iacle.org.

ABOUT IACLE

The International Association of Contact Lens Educators was established in 1979 and is a non-profit, non-political association. IACLE has 731 (as of December 2020) active members in 74 countries and welcomes contact lens educators from all eye care professions and related disciplines. IACLE is dedicated to raising the standard of contact lens education and promoting the safe use of contact lenses worldwide. It is the leading provider of educational and information resources essential to contact lens educators. IACLE is supported by leading global contact lens manufacturers: Platinum Sponsor Alcon, Gold Sponsor CooperVision, Silver Sponsor Johnson & Johnson Vision, Bronze Sponsor Bausch + Lomb and Donor Sponsor Euclid. 

ABOUT COOPERVISION

CooperVision, a division of CooperCompanies (NYSE:COO), is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of contact lenses. The company produces a full array of daily disposable, two-week and monthly soft contact lenses that feature advanced materials and optics, and premium rigid gas permeable lenses for orthokeratology and scleral designs. CooperVision has a strong heritage of addressing the toughest vision challenges such as astigmatism, presbyopia, childhood myopia, and highly irregular corneas; and offers the most complete portfolio of spherical, toric and multifocal products available. Through a combination of innovative products and focused practitioner support, the company brings a refreshing perspective to the marketplace, creating real advantages for customers and wearers. For more information, visit www.coopervision.com.

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2021 IACLE Awards

IACLE calls for entries for 2021 Educator of the Year Awards

Three contact lens educators from around the world will be attending major international meetings next year, as winners of the 2021 IACLE Awards launched today.

The International Association of Contact Lens Educators (IACLE) is offering educators worldwide the chance to become IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year and travel to a major international meeting providing COVID-19 restrictions allow. IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year will be awarded to three individuals, one from each of IACLE’s three global regions:

  • 2021 IACLE Americas Contact Lens Educator of the Year
  • 2021 IACLE Asia Pacific Contact Lens Educator of the Year
  • 2021 IACLE Europe / Africa – Middle East Contact Lens Educator of the Year

The 2020 winners, Professor Renée Reeder (USA), Professor Bariah Mohd Ali (Malaysia) and Jo Underwood (UK), will also receive their awards at meetings in 2021, when restrictions allow.

These awards recognize and reward achievements in contact lens education and are sponsored by CooperVision. The winners will each receive a bursary of up to US$3,000 towards the cost of attending an international meeting and permission to use the title 2021 IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year for their region.

The IACLE Educator Awards are open to all contact lens educators who have been IACLE members for at least three years. Applicants can either nominate themselves, or be nominated by another member, their IACLE regional / country coordinator or IACLE staff. Educators must demonstrate impact on their institutions and the ways that they inspire their students to become future contact lens practitioners.  

IACLE President Dr Shehzad Naroo commented: ‘We are proud to be able to continue to offer the IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year Awards for our three global regions. IACLE encourages all members to consider applying for the 2021 Awards, or to nominate someone for the Award. We are grateful to all our sponsors for their support, and especially to CooperVision for continuing to sponsor the Educator of the Year Awards.’

‘Continuous advancement in contact lens technology has made it more important than ever for students to receive focused education in this area of education and practice experience,” said Gary Orsborn, OD, Vice President of Global Professional, Medical and Clinical Affairs, CooperVision. “As one of the world’s leading soft contact lens manufacturers, CooperVision is proud to support IACLE each year in recognizing outstanding contact lens educators for their dedication to the future of the profession.’

The IACLE Travel Awards are bursaries of up to US$3,000 allowing IACLE Educator Members to attend international meetings. The IACLE Travel Awards are sponsored by IACLE through the generous support of all IACLE’s sponsors (Alcon, CooperVision, Johnson & Johnson Vision, Bausch + Lomb and Euclid).

Three 2020 Travel Award recipients, Dr Elizabeth Chetty (South Africa), Professor Martín Guzmán (Venezuela) and Associate Professor Nirav Mehta (India) will receive their awards at an international meeting in 2021, providing COVID-19 restrictions allow. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, there will be no IACLE Travel Awards for 2021.

The deadline for entries for the IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year 2021 awards is midnight (EST) on Sunday 31 January 2021.

– ENDS –

PICTURE CAPTION: IACLE President Dr Shehzad Naroo (left) and CooperVision’s Marcella McParland (right), pictured with some of the 2018 IACLE Award winners (l-r) Professor Martha Lucia Marquez Garcia (Colombia), Runa Mazumder (India), Wim Borst (Netherlands) and Henri Eek (Netherlands), at the 2018 American Academy of Optometry.

For media enquiries please contact:

Amelia Morgan 
Marketing Consultant | International Association of Contact Lens Educators
Leeds | United Kingdom
Email: amelia@ameliamorgan.org
Work / Mobile: + 44 7740 858 395
Skype: ameliagracemorgan_1 | Web: www.iacle.org

Notes for editors 

  1. Click here for full details of the IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year Awards and here for a full list of previous recipients.
  2. Click here to find out more about the IACLE Travel Awards.
  3. Dr Shehzad Naroo is Reader at Aston University in Birmingham, UK.

Information on all IACLE activities and membership benefits is available here

ABOUT IACLE

The International Association of Contact Lens Educators was established in 1979 and is a non-profit, non-political association. IACLE has 997 (as of 15 September 2020) active members in 79 countries and welcomes contact lens educators from all eye care professions and related disciplines. IACLE is dedicated to raising the standard of contact lens education and promoting the safe use of contact lenses worldwide. It is the leading provider of educational and information resources essential to contact lens educators. IACLE is supported by leading global contact lens manufacturers: Platinum Sponsor Alcon, Gold Sponsor CooperVision, Silver Sponsor Johnson & Johnson Vision, Bronze Sponsor Bausch + Lomb and Donor Sponsor Euclid. 

ABOUT COOPERVISION

CooperVision, a division of CooperCompanies (NYSE:COO), is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of contact lenses. The company produces a full array of daily disposable, two-week and monthly soft contact lenses that feature advanced materials and optics, and premium rigid gas permeable lenses for orthokeratology and scleral designs. CooperVision has a strong heritage of addressing the toughest vision challenges such as astigmatism, presbyopia, childhood myopia, and highly irregular corneas; and offers the most complete portfolio of spherical, toric and multifocal products available. Through a combination of innovative products and focused practitioner support, the company brings a refreshing perspective to the marketplace, creating real advantages for customers and wearers. For more information, visit www.coopervision.com.

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IACLE Virtual Conference

Industry comes together for positive message on future for contact lenses

The future is bright for the contact lens industry and there are positive developments arising from changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s the verdict of industry leaders taking part in the first-ever International Association of Contact Lens Educators (IACLE) Virtual Conference, on the theme ‘Back to contact lenses’ (26 September).

Joining a panel discussion chaired by IACLE Vice President Professor Philip Morgan were:

Cheryl Donnelly, Head of International Professional Affairs and International KOL Lead – Vision Care at Alcon
Gary Orsborn, Vice President Global Professional, Medical & Clinical Affairs, CooperVision
John Meyler, Global Head, Professional and Clinical Education, Johnson & Johnson Vision
Osbert Chan, Director of Medical and Clinical Affairs for Bausch + Lomb, Asia Pacific

Key developments for the contact lens sector arising from the COVID-19 pandemic included:

• Collaboration between industry, practitioners, scientists and educators to dispel myths about the safety of contact lens wear at the early stages of the pandemic
• Lack of going out, socializing and playing sport were the reasons for patients wearing contact lenses less, rather than safety concerns
• Hygiene now ‘top of mind’ for patients and practitioners
• Efficiencies in appointments and services, such as telemedicine or ‘teleoptometry’
• Rising demand for online ordering, direct-to-patient delivery and digital engagement
• Recognition that contact lenses are an important, ongoing revenue stream for practices
• Acceptance of online learning among industry, practitioners, educators and students
• Opportunities for wearing contact lenses to avoid spectacles fogging and to enhance eye appearance when wearing face masks and coverings

Each of the panel members expressed optimism about the future for contact lenses and identified major changes to contact lens practice that had resulted from the pandemic:

Cheryl Donnelly said that patients purchasing habits for contact lenses, and how and where they interacted with their contact lens practitioners, had changed. ‘We need to look at how patients want to engage, and consider changes to our practice patient journey to allow for the imposed and required changes. It’s not about doing things to a lesser extent clinically… but doing things differently.’

Dr Gary Orsborn anticipated a permanent change in the patient journey. ‘Virtual aftercare appointments, I believe, will improve the situation we have in retaining patients in contact lenses and this should result in fewer dropouts, because of the effectiveness of improved virtual communications. Expect to see increased investment in telemedicine solutions for eye care.’

John Meyler said the sector could work in a much smarter way going forward. ‘Patient experience will improve. This has been a time to reflect on how we can do things more efficiently and better serve patients. I think the future’s very bright for the industry.’

Dr Osbert Chan was also ‘very optimistic’ about the future. ‘We know what to do. We need to learn how to live with the virus and how to overcome it.’

All congratulated IACLE and its members – contact lens educators worldwide – on their response to the pandemic. ‘From the IACLE perspective, you’ve stepped up education delivery so well in these last few months, and have led the way with The TLC (Teach. Learn. Connect) Initiative,’ said Ms Donnelly.

More than 200 delegates took part in the IACLE Virtual Conference live. Members participated via the Zoom platform, while non-members and students were able to watch selected sessions via Facebook.

The conference was introduced by IACLE President Dr Shehzad Naroo, chaired by Europe / Africa – Middle East Regional President Judith Morris and organized by Executive Manager of Educational Programs Nilesh Thite. Speakers on education topics were Lakshmi Shinde (India), Dr Etty Bitton (Canada), Professor Craig Woods (Australia), Fakhruddin Barodawala (Malaysia), Dr May Bakkar (Jordan), Dr Frank Eperjesi (UK), Professor Renée Reeder (USA) and Dr Byki Huntjens (UK).

A recording of the conference is available to IACLE members on its learning management system, IACLETOP, along with around 40 global, regional and national webinars delivered under the TLC Initiative so far. The next series of global webinars – on myopia and its management – will run weekly in November.

– ENDS –

For media enquiries please contact:

Alison Ewbank
Communications | International Association of Contact Lens Educators
International Association of Contact Lens Educators
London | United Kingdom
Email: a.ewbank@iacle.org
Work: + 44 208 390 9378 | Mobile: + 44 7732 121 959
Skype: alisonewbank1 | Web: www.iacle.org

Amelia Morgan 
Marketing Consultant | International Association of Contact Lens Educators
Leeds | United Kingdom
Email: amelia@ameliamorgan.org
Work / Mobile: + 44 7740 858 395
Skype: ameliagracemorgan_1 | Web: www.iacle.org

Notes for editors 

  1. Watch the industry panel discussion on IACLE’s Facebook page.
  2. Read more details of The TLC (Teach. Learn. Connect) Initiative.
  3. Access the 2020 Virtual Conference brochure.
  4. Find out more about the IACLETOP Learning Management System.
  5. ‘The Impact of COVID-19 on Global Contact Lens Education’ survey of IACLE Educator Members worldwide was conducted online in May 2020. A total of 214 responses were received from 32 countries across all three of IACLE’s global regions. The survey covers the current effects of the pandemic on contact lens education worldwide, and how educators and institutions plan to adapt in future. Read a full report.
  6. Find information on all IACLE activities and membership benefits.

About IACLE

The International Association of Contact Lens Educators was established in 1979 and is a non-profit, non-political association. IACLE has 967 (as of 30 June 2020) active members in 726 institutions in 79 countries and welcomes contact lens educators from all eye care professions and related disciplines. IACLE is dedicated to raising the standard of contact lens education and promoting the safe use of contact lenses worldwide. It is the leading provider of educational and information resources essential to contact lens educators. IACLE is supported by leading global contact lens manufacturers: Platinum Sponsor Alcon, Gold Sponsor CooperVision, Silver Sponsor Johnson & Johnson Vision, Bronze Sponsor Bausch + Lomb and Donor Sponsor Euclid. 

Posted on

TLC Initiative Outcomes Update

IACLE reports success of TLC (Teach. Learn. Connect.) Initiative

The International Association of Contact Lens Educators’ TLC Initiative to support educators, their students and the contact lens industry during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, has been a major success since it launched three months ago today.

Teach. Learn. Connect is an online education program and communications campaign that supplements IACLE’s existing educational activities.

Some of the notable achievements of the initiative include:

• At least 4,828 educators and their students have taken part online in global, regional and national TLC webinars.

• IACLE members are now registering for its first-ever Virtual Conference – Back to Contact Lenses – taking place on 26 September.

NOTE: Non-members and students can take part in some conference sessions via the IACLE Facebook page, including an Industry Panel Discussion on the impact of COVID-19 and the future for contact lens education, practice and the industry.

• A total of 842 members have signed up for IACLETOP, IACLE’s new Learning Management System.

• So far, 302 students from nine institutions across the world have taken the new Online Student Trial Exam (STE) to assess their contact lens knowledge.

• Social media activity has increased across all platforms, gaining over 1,700 followers on IACLE’s Facebook page, an increase of 37% in a three-month period. The introduction of Instagram has been especially popular, with 1,092 followers joining since its launch at the start of The TLC.

• Since The TLC launch, 35 new members have joined IACLE bringing the total number of members worldwide to 997.

IACLE’s next global webinar series will focus on myopia and its management, starting on 3 November. The topic of the first webinar is ‘What causes myopia and its progression? – current understanding’, presented by Professor Nicola Logan from Aston University, Birmingham, UK.

IACLE President Dr Shehzad Naroo commented: ‘The Teach. Learn. Connect. Initiative has brought together many of IACLE’s existing resources, merged them with the new activities that IACLE is undertaking and housed them under one banner making them more user-friendly and accessible. The result has been increased engagement with educators and their students.’ 

– ENDS –

For media enquiries please contact:

Alison Ewbank
Communications | International Association of Contact Lens Educators
International Association of Contact Lens Educators
London | United Kingdom
Email: a.ewbank@iacle.org
Work: + 44 208 390 9378 | Mobile: + 44 7732 121 959
Skype: alisonewbank1 | Web: www.iacle.org

Amelia Morgan 
Marketing Consultant | International Association of Contact Lens Educators
Leeds | United Kingdom
Email: amelia@ameliamorgan.org
Work / Mobile: + 44 7740 858 395
Skype: ameliagracemorgan_1 | Web: www.iacle.org

Notes for editors 

  1. Read more details of The TLC (Teach. Learn. Connect) Initiative.
  2. Access the 2020 Virtual Conference brochure.
  3. Find out more about the IACLETOP Learning Management System.
  4. ‘The Impact of COVID-19 on Global Contact Lens Education’ survey of IACLE Educator Members worldwide was conducted online in May 2020. A total of 214 responses were received from 32 countries across all three of IACLE’s global regions. The survey covers the current effects of the pandemic on contact lens education worldwide, and how educators and institutions plan to adapt in future. Read a full report.
  5. Dr Shehzad Naroo is Reader at Aston University in Birmingham, UK.
  6. Information on all IACLE activities and membership benefits is available at www.iacle.org.

About IACLE

The International Association of Contact Lens Educators was established in 1979 and is a non-profit, non-political association. IACLE has 967 (as of 30 June 2020) active members in 726 institutions in 79 countries and welcomes contact lens educators from all eye care professions and related disciplines. IACLE is dedicated to raising the standard of contact lens education and promoting the safe use of contact lenses worldwide. It is the leading provider of educational and information resources essential to contact lens educators. IACLE is supported by leading global contact lens manufacturers: Platinum Sponsor Alcon, Gold Sponsor CooperVision, Silver Sponsor Johnson & Johnson Vision, Bronze Sponsor Bausch + Lomb and Donor Sponsor Euclid. 

Posted on

Online STE Launch

IACLE introduces Online Student Trial Exam to support educators following the COVID-19 pandemic

The International Association of Contact Lens Educators (IACLE) has launched an Online Student Trial Exam (STE) to support educators whose students are currently unable to attend their institutions in person or who want to assess students’ knowledge online.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Global Contact Lens Education’ survey conducted in May 2020 among IACLE Educator Members worldwide revealed:

• 71% of their institutions were currently closed to students to attend in person
• Only 24% were running exams or assessments for students to take in person
• 22% said they were not currently assessing students at all

Hosted on a new teaching online platform – IACLETOP – the Online STE is one of many additional resources IACLE is introducing under The TLC (Teach. Learn. Connect.) Initiative to support educators, students and industry at this time, and help reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative also reflects IACLE’s wider move towards online delivery via IACLETOP.

The STE has previously been a 100 multiple-choice question (MCQ) assessment in paper format to help teachers gauge how their students are progressing through their contact lens curriculum. The paper-format STE will now be discontinued. Delivering the STE online means IACLE can offer a number of enhancements:

• A choice between the traditional 100 MCQ exam or a reduced STE with 50 MCQs, providing more flexibility for educators and students.
• Questions and answer options randomized, so each student gets an individual exam.
• The option to complete the STE via a smartphone app as well as on their computer.
• Online feedback for each student, either on the day or when the educator prefers.

The Online STE will be free of charge until the end of 2020 and will initially be conducted in English, with translations into Spanish, Korean, Chinese (Simplified) and Bahasa to be completed by September.

IACLE’s Executive Manager of Educational Development Professor Craig Woods, who is leading the project, explained: ‘Even if educators are teaching remotely and their students are learning from home, IACLE is able to support them with this tried, tested and trusted exam. We’re very excited to add this to our existing resources and the three institutions that have already tried it out were impressed by how easy it was to administer to their students.’

FIACLE optometrist Fakhruddin Barodawala, lecturer at SEGi University in Malaysia, was among the first to run the exam. He commented: ‘IACLETOP came to the rescue just in time. The pandemic has hit everyone globally, and we were clueless on how we would conduct the STE. At SEGi University, STE is an important element of contact lens teaching as it forms a part of our summative assessment for final-year students. Both I as the educator and my students had a good learning experience.’

– ENDS –

For media enquiries please contact:

Alison Ewbank
Communications | International Association of Contact Lens Educators
International Association of Contact Lens Educators
London | United Kingdom
Email: a.ewbank@iacle.org
Work: + 44 208 390 9378 | Mobile: + 44 7732 121 959
Skype: alisonewbank1 | Web: www.iacle.org

Amelia Morgan 
Marketing Consultant | International Association of Contact Lens Educators
Leeds | United Kingdom
Email: amelia@ameliamorgan.org
Work / Mobile: + 44 7740 858 395
Skype: ameliagracemorgan_1 | Web: www.iacle.org

Notes for editors 

  1. Information on the IACLE Student Trial Exam.
  2. Details of The TLC (Teach. Learn. Connect.) Initiative.
  3. ‘The Impact of COVID-19 on Global Contact Lens Education’ survey of IACLE Educator Members worldwide was conducted online in May 2020. A total of 214 responses were received from 32 countries across all three of IACLE’s global regions. The survey covers the current effects of the pandemic on contact lens education worldwide, and how educators and institutions plan to adapt in future.
  4. Information on all IACLE activities and membership benefits is available at www.iacle.org.

About IACLE

The International Association of Contact Lens Educators was established in 1979 and is a non-profit, non-political association. IACLE has 967 (as of 30 June 2020) active members in 726 institutions in 79 countries and welcomes contact lens educators from all eye care professions and related disciplines. IACLE is dedicated to raising the standard of contact lens education and promoting the safe use of contact lenses worldwide. It is the leading provider of educational and information resources essential to contact lens educators. IACLE is supported by leading global contact lens manufacturers: Platinum Sponsor Alcon, Gold Sponsor CooperVision, Silver Sponsor Johnson & Johnson Vision, Bronze Sponsor Bausch + Lomb and Donor Sponsor Euclid.